Last month, the members of Pune based Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) had threatened to go on a protest at private hospitals, if the hospitals do not stop charging deposits from the needy patients. They had also raised the issue of exorbitant fees of private hospitals

Recently, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has been putting up banners and hoarding in Pune demanding that hospitals must not reject patients if they are unable to pay the deposit. Members of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) in Pune have expressed their displeasure over these banners and hoardings put up by the party

Now, the IMA Pune branch have written a letter to the police commissioner asking them to verify if the MNS workers have taken the necessary permissions required to put up such posters.

Dr Prakash Marathe, the President of IMA Pune branch, said, “The banners that have been put up are against the treatment being offered at the hospitals. It should be understood as per the directive of the Supreme Court, that all hospitals are providing treatment to accident victims and other emergency patients. But after providing this basic emergency treatment, the hospitals cannot provide any further treatment for free.”

Last month, the members of Pune based Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) had threatened to go on a protest at private hospitals if the hospitals do not stop charging deposits from the needy patients. They had also raised the issue of exorbitant fees of private hospitals.

Following this MNS members have asked patients who have complained against private hospitals to contact them.

The posters on display show that the MNS has demanded that the hospitals must not reject any patient if they cannot pay the deposit.

The letter written to the commissioner says that, “The government spends less than 1 per cent on health services. Due to this government run health hospitals provide treatment to only 20 per cent of the population while the remaining 80 per cent get treatment from private hospitals or doctors. Hence, this is not the fault of the hospitals but of the government which has less allocation for the health sector.”

It also said that private hospitals do not get any help from the government while being established neither do they get loans at lower rates from the banks.

The IMA members added that the investment on medical machinery, its maintenance and on medicines of intensive care units is a lot.

“Hence providing emergency treatment till the patient becomes stable is necessary but for the private hospitals might not be able to give the treatment after that without paying of fees,” the members added.

“The government has informed that treatment should not be stopped, if the patients are not able to pay the deposit amount. But people are not aware about this government’s decision. So, we had put up these posters to make them aware,” said Kalpesh Yadav, President of MNS youth wing Pune.